The next 'Mass Effect' game is a gorgeous space western

Forget about “Star Wars,” and “Star Trek” and, hell, even “Starship Troopers.” The greatest space opera of the modern era is a video game trilogy: “Mass Effect.” And the company that makes it just announced the next entry in the series — “Mass Effect: Andromeda” is heading to game consoles in “holiday 2016.”

In “Mass Effect,” you play a ship commander of your choosing. Male? Female? Good? Bad? These are all your choices. The series is all about shaping your own hero (or villain) and interacting with the incredible, dangerous, and intricate world. It’s a game about politics, and camaraderie, and deciding when you’ve heard enough and it’s time to make your guns do the talking.

And the next entry is apparently a Western. At least that’s what we’re taking away from the first teaser trailer, shown Monday afternoon in Los Angeles during the annual E3 video game trade show. Take a look for yourself:

Pretty impressive, no? That’s what EA’s Bioware studio — the game’s creator — is calling a “visual target.” In human terms, that means the final product will not look as good as this trailer. But it will look similarly impressive no doubt — the “Mass Effect” series is known for its lush visuals and detailed environments.

Though it will be at least another year before we get to play “Andromeda,” those interested in checking out the original trilogy could do so on the Xbox One using the just-announced backwards compatibility. Simply slip the original trilogy (on Xbox 360) into your Xbox One and you’re able to jump right in.

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